Power-generating traction-wheel.



PATENTED APR. 30, 1907.

M. 0. SHARPNEGK. POWER GENERATING TRACTION WHEEL. 4

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28. 1906.

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MATTHEW O. SHARPNEOK, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

POWER-GENERATING TRACTION-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

Application filed August 28, 1906. Serial No.'332,364.

T0 aZZ 2071/0117, it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, MAT'rnnw C. SILARP NECK, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing 1 at Boston, 111 the county of Suffolk and State l ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement inPower-Generating Traction-Wheels, of which the following is aspecification.

My object is to provide a peculiarly durable and el'licientfluid-pressure generating traction-wheel, of novel construction, forapplication, particularly, to a railroad car to utilize the tractionforce of the wheel. for generating, through the medium ofcompression-devices, air pressure for use as power. This generated powermay be employed to supplement the motive force for running the car, orit may, if desired, be used in connection with air-pressure brakeapparatus, or for other purposes.

My invention is illustrated in its preferred form of embodiment, in theaccompanying drawing, in which- Figure l'is a View in side elevation,and partly in sectional elevation, of a car-wheel equipped with myinvention; and Fig. 2, a view of the same partly in elevation, andpartly in section, the section being taken at line 2, in Fig. 1, andviewed in the direction of the arrow.

The flanged rimortion, 3, of my improved wheel is separate from thewheel-center and .comprises two sections, 4 and 5, longitudinallyseparable which, as shown, are re leasably secured together, as bybolts, 6. The rim-portion has formed within it an outer annular recessor runway, 7, concentrio with relation to its tread, 8, and openingtoward the center of the wheel into a larger concentric inner annularrecess, 9, having side-walls or flanges, 10, inwardly projectingshoulders, 11, being provided between the recesses, 7 and 9, on{opposite sides thereof, to serve as roller-bearing surfaces forrollershafts, 12, hereinafter described. The wheelcenter is representedat 13 and comprises a hollow hub, 14, carrying stul'ling-boxes, 15, andjournaled on a hollow axle, 16, concentric therewith, a series offluid-pressure cylinders, 17, radiating from the hub and forming hollowspokes, and an annular rim-portion formed of spaced walls, 19, thewheelcenter being slidably confined at its outer periphery within theflanged rimportion, 3, between the walls,'10. The inner end of eachcylinder is provided with a head, 20,

having an outwardly opening check-valve, 21, through which the aircompressed in the cylinders, as hereinafter explained, is dischargedinto a chamber, 22, in the head, and thence through openings, 23, in itswall, into the hollow hub, from which it passes into the hollow axlethrough perforations, 24, in the latter, to be conveyed to the place ofits use or to a storage-tank (not shown). Reciprocally confined in eachcylinder is a pistonhcad, 25, containing a chamber, 26, into whichair-inlet passages, 27, lead through the outer end of the piston-head,an inwardlyopening check-valve, 28, being provided in the inner wall ofthe piston-head, for permitting air to enter the cylinder from thechamber, 26, during the outwardv stroke of the piston.

Secured to each piston-head, as by a threaded connection, is apiston-rod, 29, terminating at its outer end in a stirrup, 30, in theopposite sides of which journaled a rollershaft, 12, carrying a roller,31., which bears against the outer wall of the recess, 7. Theseroller-shafts, which extend beyond the supporting stirrups, arecon'lincd in the recess, 7, and hear at their projecting ends againstthe shoulders, 11., for the purpose of withdrawing the piston-heads fromthe cylinders, as hereinafter explained.

The piston-rods are held in alinement by roller-bearings, 32, ournaledin eccentric bushings, 33, in the annular rim-portion of thewheel-center to embrace the piston rods on opposite sides. The supply ofair to the cylinders to the piston-head is supplemented by air admittedthrough air-inlet openings, 34, provided in the walls of the cylinders.

It will thus be seen that by reason of the sliding bearing a'll'ordedbetween the annular rim-portion of the wheel-center and the walls, 10,the axle, during rotation of the wheel, is maintained in the samehorizontalplanerclative to the track, thereby causing the axle to be inpermanent eccentric relation to the [langed rim-portion, 3. Thus in thetravel of the cylinders about the axle from their uppermost to theirlowermost positions, the respective piston-rods are forced inwardly intothe cylinders, with the ell'ect of compressing the air therein anddischarging it into the hollow hub and thence through the axle, ashereinbefore explained. As the cylinders are carried from theirlowermost to their uppermost positions, the piston-rods are withdrawnfrom the respective cylinders and air supplied to gwcnnfined betweensaid walls, and pistons for the latter preparatory to its compression inthe manner hereinbefore explained.

I/Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is 1. In apower-generating traction-wheel, the combination with the rim-portioncon taining an annular recess provided with sidewalls and opening towardthe center of the wheel, of a wheel-center of smaller diameter than thediameter of the recess, journaled on a hollow axle, and slidablyconfined at its periphery between said walls, said wheel-center having ahollow hub opening into said axle and carrying a series of radiatingfluid-pres sure cylinders provided with pistons actuated by theeccentric rotation of the rim relative to said axle.

2. In a power-generating traction-wheel, the combination with therim-portion containing an annular recess provided with side walls andopening toward the center of the wheel, of a hollow axle and awheel-center of smaller diameter than the diameter of the recess, andcomprising a hollow hub journaled on and opening into said axle, aseries of fluidcompression cylinders radiating from said hub and adaptedto discharge the compressed air into it, an annular circumferentialportion at which the wheel-center is slidably saidc ylimlersnct&1ted bythe eccentric rotation of the rim relatifitosaidaxle.

3. In a power-generating traetionavhenl the combination with therim-portion containing an inner annular recess and an outer annularrecess opening into each other with an interposed roller-shaftbearingsurface, of

a hollow axle, a hollow hub journaled on said axle and opening into it,a series of radiating fluid-compression cylinders mounted ,on said hubto discharge into it, pistons in said cylinders actuated by theeccentric rotation of the rim relative to the axle, said pistonscarrying piston-rods provided with roller-shafts engaging saidroller-bearing surface and rollers on said rollershafts adapted to bearagainst the circumferential surface of the said outer recess, for thepurpose set forth.

4. In a power-generating traction-wheel, the combination with therim-portion, of a hollow axle, a hollow hub journaled on and openinginto said axle, a series of fluid-compression cylinders radiating fromsaid hub and adapted to discharge compressed air into said hub, andpistons in said cylinders having roller-bearing connection with saidwheelrim to be actuated by the eccentric rotation of the rim relative tothe axle.

5. In a power-generating traction-wheel, the combination with therim-portion, of a hollow axle, and a wheel-center comprising a hollowhub journaled on and opening into said axle, a series offluid-compression cylinders radiating from said hub and adapted todischarge compressed air into it, pistons in said cylinders, piston-rodsconnected with the pistons and having roller-bearing connections withsaid wheel-rim to be reciprocated by the eccentric rotation of the rimrelative to the axle, and guides in the wheel-center for saidpiston-rods, comprising rollers engagingopprgite sides of thepiston-rods.

MATTHEVE. O. SHARPNECK.

In presence of:

G. FRANKLIN NEAL, Josnrn B. HEALD.

